Sanctuary: Another Side, Another Story
by Undying lover
Summary: Based on my story Sanctuary. As that story is happening, Tidus gets introduced to a certain blonde, and runs into some questions of his own. RxT
1. Chapter 1: The Meeting

Sanctuary: Another Side, Another Story

Chapter 1: The Meeting

Tidus paced the shores of Destiny Islands. Normally, Tidus would be up on the wooden platform that overlooked the rest of the Islands, practicing how he swung his wooden stick to near perfection. However, this was entirely out of the question today. Tidus had plenty to occupy his mind without a stick he had learned to master. He decided to rest from that today.

Tidus was sixteen years old. He had blonde hair, natural, not dyed, that he always wore down. It almost looked like an emo haircut, but it looked far better, especially with his bangs swept out of his face. He had deep, crystal blue eyes that sparkled in the sun. He had a tan, firm body that he flaunted, since he always wore a shirt that had no middle part, exposing his torso. To put it simply, he was cute.

However, today, he was too stressed to be concerned with how he looked. No, he was stressing over the thing occupying most teenagers' minds: love. Finding it, holding it, and what happens when it fades. For today, Tidus was worried about the first-finding it. Or rather, letting someone know he loves them.

That someone was a girl. She was fifteen years old. She had ruby red hair she wore down to her shoulder blades. She had blue eyes that gleamed with an innocence Tidus could not describe. She wore a cute pink top and mini-skirt combination. She was adorable, to say the least.

Her name was Kairi.

Tidus had been planning to ask her to the Moonlit Destiny Dance, a dance run by Destiny High School. It was used to welcome in the new school year. Tidus still couldn't believe he had let summer slip away so easily. Oh well. At least he had a fun dance to look forward to.

Ah, if only it were that simple.

See, Tidus had a slight problem. He wasn't sure if he was ready to love again. Tidus wasn't a native to the Destiny Islands. No, he had moved, or rather, been forced to live, there one year to this date. He was really from a world named Spira. It was a vast world, and it was his home. He had originally lived in Zanarkand, the city of lights, the city that never sleeps. However, one fateful night, Zanarkand was destroyed by an entity Auron called "Sin." He was hurled 1000 years into the future, where he eventually helped a girl named Yuna save the world from this same Sin that destroyed his home. She was a summoner, a righteous martyr with the power to summon aeons, which were fantastic creatures.

Tidus quickly fell in love with her. She was so beautiful. She had brown hair falling to her shoulders. She dressed in a long, white dress. She was frail and delicate, yet she had an undertone of rebellion, a wild side shadowed by the good girl image. She had a beautiful smile that could always cheer Tidus up when he was down. Tidus loved this, and he wished he could stay with her forever.

But, something happened. As they went into the final battle with Sin…well, his memory was fuzzy, but it ended in Tidus, Wakka, and Auron on Destiny Islands. He was heartbroken that he had been forcefully split from Yuna. Was he ready for that kind of commitment again? Would he ever be ready for that kind of commitment again?

At that moment, Selphie ran up to him. "Tidus!" she called. Selphie was a spunky girl. She was either shy and reserved or, once you got her to trust you, painfully talkative. She was nice, though. She was short and skinny. She had brown hair that curled at the ends. Her large green eyes now surveyed Tidus with excitement.

"What's up?"

"Oh, not much. Only…" Selphie began casually, but then it quickly morphed into enthusiasm. "ONLY A REALLY HOT GUY MOVING IN NEXT DOOR!"

Tidus rolled his eyes and sighed in his head. _Selphie…your typical teenage girl._ Still, he thanked God. The house separating Tidus' and Selphie's house had been vacant for months. Now, when Tidus was having his emo moment of the day, and when he wanted to be alone, she would have someone else to go bother.

"Come on!" she exclaimed, grabbing Tidus' hand and practically yanking it out of its socket. "Let's go meet him."

They both sprinted back home. At this point, Tidus had a rather resigned demeanor. _Oh well, _he thought, _it's good to meet the new kids._

The two ran to the house in-between their own. The house, once dusty and gray, now sparkled with vibrant shades of green, tan, and white. The windows, previously boarded up, now showed a beautiful world with two rocking chairs surrounding a fireplace and a plasma screen TV. Boxes were piled randomly yet neatly around the room. Tidus surveyed all of this with such admiration he didn't notice the boy in the doorway.

"Hi," the boy in the doorway said, catching both of their attentions. The boy was about Tidus' height. He had blond hair (probably natural, same as Tidus) put up in spikes, but only at the front. It didn't look punk as much as rather cute. He had blue eyes, blue like the sea's, a shade of blue that was oddly reminiscent of Sora. He wore a matching white shirt-and-pants combination with black shoes. He wore the most innocent smile Tidus had ever seen.

Selphie gave a quiet, yet extremely joyful squeal as the boy stepped off the porch. He strode over to Tidus, passing up Selphie without so much as a glance. While Selphie glared, the boy stuck his had out to Tidus. "I'm Roxas," he said gaily.

"T-tidus." They shook hands.

"Tidus…" he said the name with an unidentifiable charm that made Tidus less tense. Roxas' voice worked like a back massage. "Tidus…that's such a pretty name…"

Tidus smiled like a boost of self-confidence. Roxas was a wonderful guy. Tidus felt a foreign connection with this new kid. The Destiny Islands had hosted many new people, but Tidus wanted to get to know this one in particular.

"Thanks," Tidus responded politely, "I like your name, too.

Tidus could swear the lightest shade of pink came to Roxas' soft cheeks. "Thanks" he grinned blissfully. "Want to come inside for a cup of tea?"

Tidus didn't really like tea, but he figured he would go anyways. "Sure!" With Selphie glowering at their backs, they entered Roxas' house.

The house was even more beautiful from the inside. It was freshly painted green and white on the inside. Roxas took his hand and led him to the kitchen area. There was a benevolent-looking woman in the kitchen. She appeared to be middle-aged. She had blonde hair streaked with gray, and put up in a ponytail. Her blue eyes surveyed Tidus and Roxas with interest.

"Hello, honey. And who is this? Oh, is this one of the locals?" she asked. She smiled at Tidus sweetly. Tidus returned it.

Roxas beamed at his mother, then gave what appeared to be a wink, and then he said, "Mom, this is Tidus. Our neighbor, remember?"

The woman gave her son a knowing smile. "Nice to meet you, Tidus. I'm Roxas' mom, Gwen!"

"Nice to meet you," Tidus said, grinning warmly.

Tidus glanced at Roxas. He was looking at him kind of funny, he had that look you get when you get lost in someone's eyes. Although he didn't really consciously think about this, deep down, Tidus wished that Roxas was really lost in his eyes. Roxas, quickly realizing how awkward this might seem on the outside, quickly snapped out of it. "Um…could you make us a pot of tea, mom?"

His mother scoffed. "Say the magic word…"

"MOM!" Roxas roared.

"Say it…"

"…Please…" Roxas surrendered.

"Thank you. In that case, I would love to. But to make your favorite, Fiery Passion Tea, it will take about thirty minutes. If you want, you can go up to your room, Roxas, and do something, but hanging around here won't make it get done faster.

"Thanks, mom!" Roxas grinned gratefully. "Tidus, want to come up to see _my_ room?"

"Sure…" Tidus said innocently.

Roxas smiled. _Such a cute smile…wait…what?_ Tidus thought.

With that, Roxas grasped his hand and, in a frenzy, led Tidus up the stairs to Roxas' room.

The boy's room, wasn't very neatly decorated yet. It was blank and vacant except for the neatly organized desk in one corner, and the bed lying right next to the window in another. On the wall opposing both of these sat an extremely big closet. _He must be very fashion conscious…_ Tidus thought.

"Sorry about the mess, or lack thereof." Roxas said.

Tidus laughed. "Beats the crap out of my room. In my room, you'd think an atomic bomb went off!"

Roxas laughed. "Have a seat!" He motioned towards the bed. Tidus obeyed, and the two bounded over to the bed and sat down side by side. For a while, they just sat there, enjoying each other's company. Then, Roxas turned to Tidus, a grin that could melt ice curling his lips.

"So…tell me about yourself, Tidus." Roxas coaxed.

And as Tidus heard himself spilling his guts about everything from his past to what he felt now, and as he watched Roxas listening intently, hanging on every word that he said, Tidus felt a growing connection with the boy. He knew that Roxas really cared. A lot of the people on this island would pretend to listen, but then start talking about the trials and tribulations of their own damn lives, as if they had forgotten what Tidus had just told them. Tidus could tell Roxas was different, Roxas sincerely heeded his words.

They talked for hours. One of them would tell a tale from their lives, the other would reflect on it, both would say something like "yeah…", rinse, repeat. They must have done this fifteen or so times, yet it never really got old.

Roxas had an interesting past. He once lived in a place called Twilight Town. It was a cozy little city, much like the islands here, where everyone knew everyone else. There were very few youth, namely, eight. Roxas had to admit he was a little overwhelmed by all of this town with it's massive population, but he still liked it. He and his mom had met a man dressed entirely in red bandages, which Roxas had assumed meant he was just crippled or something, and a man in a black hood, who had taken them from their former home. Something about it not being safe there. That's how Roxas ended up on the islands.

Four hours and five cups of tea later, they were both lying down on Roxas' bed, curled up next to each other. The last cup Roxas' mom had made had been Blue Innocence Tea, a drink whose only purpose in life was to lull its consumers to sleep. It worked like a charm with the two boys, as Tidus and Roxas lay there, wrapped in each other's arms, fading into the silent oblivion entitled "dreamy rest." As they fell asleep, Roxas whispered, "Tidus?"

"Hm?"

"Do you want to go to the Dance with me?"

He was referring to the upcoming Moonlit Destiny Dance. Eyelids drooping, Tidus was faced with a dilemma. Go with Roxas, or follow through on his original plans and ask Kairi. Tidus decided to see if there was a compromise.

"Mmm…can I bring Kairi?" he slurred.

Roxas giggled. "All right."

And with that, the two fell asleep to the soft, melodious sounds of their rhythmic breathing. Roxas' arm comfortably curling around Tidus' shoulders, he knew that he had finally found someone he could really trust.


	2. Chapter 2: The Melting

Chapter 2: The Melting

Tidus and Roxas awoke to the sounds of a soft knock outside their door. The lady who proceeded to speak Tidus immediately identified as Roxas' mom, Gwen.

"Boys? Dinner's ready!" Gwen said in a comforting tone. "I got your mom to approve of you staying with us for a while, maybe spend the night?"

"Thanks, mom," Roxas slurred as he awoke. "Be down 'n a bit."

Tidus surveyed their current position. They were both facing towards the door, Roxas' arm wrapped around Tidus' stomach. Roxas' left cheek was pressing against the back of Tidus' neck, and Roxas' face was comfortably nuzzled in the small space between Tidus' neck and the bed. Their position was nice and snug. Tidus felt a strong sense of security in the young man's arms.

Roxas yawned, and looked up at Tidus. Tidus now noticed they had eyes that were the exact same shade of blue. Tidus smiled. Suddenly, in one afternoon, he had created a bond with this stranger in a day that he hadn't really been able to create with anyone else on the islands over the course of a year. It was the same kind of connection that he had created once with Yuna.

Only this one wasn't true love.

"Well, shall we go eat?" Roxas asked, as brightly as ever.

Tidus grinned. "Yeah. I'm your usual teenage guy. I'll take food over love."

Roxas giggled. "So it's love now?"

Tidus laughed and pulled Roxas by the hand out of bed. _Wait…IS it love?_ Tidus was more concerned about his slip of the tongue than he let on. It was unlike him to contradict a thought that had crossed his mind, especially one that had happened two seconds before the contradiction. He was fairly certain he wasn't gay, and yet he had strong feelings for this Roxas. Tidus sighed. Things were starting to get complex. Unfortunately, he hade sighed aloud. Roxas looked over at him, a concerned look growing on his face. "You okay?"

"Hm? Oh…oh, yeah. Perfect." Tidus reassured, both Roxas and himself. Tidus put his hand on Roxas' shoulder. Both boys smiled, though Tidus was really thinking, _Ay. Gotta watch what I say. Me and my big mouth…_

Roxas smiled enchantingly. "Good. Don't want to have hurt you or anything."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I'd hate myself if I had made you feel bad."

_Aww…_Tidus thought. _That's cute._

"So, are we still on for the Dance?"

"Huh?" Tidus had forgotten his pledge to Roxas.

"The Dance…remember?" Roxas beamed innocently.

"Oh…yeah." Tidus beamed back. Roxas' smile grew just a little bit. "Can I bring Kairi?"

And, just as quickly as it had grown, Roxas' smile faltered. He shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, and then had apparently decided that both feet were equally awkward-feeling, and stood straight. "Well…all right…sure, whatever you want."

Tidus was oblivious to Roxas' body language, which seemed to scream, "no, you idiot, that isn't all right!" Tidus smiled. "Cool." Then, putting his arm around Roxas in a completely nonsexual manner, they began walking down the stairs. Also in a platonic manner, Roxas rested his head on Tidus' shoulder. They looked at each other, and grinned goofily. Tidus felt inexplicably carefree, like he had always felt when Yuna was around, like that one fateful night with his lover in Macalania Woods.

Not that he and Roxas were lovers. They were just friends. Very close friends.

Roxas still gently clutching the side of his abdomen, the two entered the kitchen. Roxas' mom saw them and smiled. "I made your favorite, Roxas-Yarisora!" Tidus peered down at the plates lying on the wooden table. They looked like sushi, only more delicious, and less likely to give Tidus salmonella. They radiated scents that Tidus knew were foreign to his taste buds, but he wanted to try it. Tidus' stomach suddenly growled ferociously.

Roxas giggled adorably in response to the sounds emitting from Tidus' stomach. "Guess we better hurry up and eat."

"Yeah, really" Tidus said, then wish he hadn't said it. _Wait…"yeah, really?" God, Roxas is going to think I'm as dull as a doorkno…wait…since when am I out to impress Roxas?_

Tidus shook it off, and the two and Roxas' mom sat down to eat. Tidus was wondering what he was missing on the islands. He glanced out the window. Sora and Wakka were dueling, while Selphie ran off, money in hand, probably to go get ice cream and milkshakes for everyone from the local ice cream parlor. Meanwhile, Riku was oddly enough turning red (which was strange because Riku never lost his cool), while Kairi was laughing hysterically. _Seems like a normal day…good. I'm not missing anything._ Tidus had a sudden craving for ice cream, though.

Tidus took a bite of this dish called Yarisora. His mouth was suddenly filled with flowing juices, which elegantly swept across his taste buds, leaving him with a feeling much like an oral orgasm. _Whoa…mind out of the gutter _he scolded himself.

"Like it?" Roxas asked. Tidus responded by making a face that looked a lot like the anime happy face, and giving an enthusiastic, "Mmhmm!"

Roxas chuckled. "Glad to hear it."

They finished dinner. The rest of the dinner conversation consisted of Roxas' mom Gwen asking Tidus about himself, and Tidus responding with basically everything he had told Roxas when they were laying in bed together.

When they had finished, and Roxas' mother had put away the dishes while Tidus and Roxas idly chatted. Gwen reached into the freezer and pulled out a carton. "Whose up for Sea Salt Ice Cream?" she sang.

The name repulsed Tidus. _Salt-flavored ice cream?!_ Tidus unconsciously made a face. Roxas turned to him, saw Tidus' disgusted look, and giggled, slightly humiliated. "Sea Salt is a brand of ice cream," he explained. "It's really just cookie dough.

"Oh…" Tidus smiled politely. "right."

The two dug into their bowls ravenously. Tidus realized the ice cream wasn't as revolting as its name suggested, but it was scrumptious. It was like Roxas- sweet, soft, it's delicious taste melted Tidus' heart. It made Tidus happy. He didn't care about anything but the ice cream anymore.

Wait…now he was falling in love with ice cream? Tidus wasn't sure, but he had a growing concern he needed psychiatric care.

They finished their ice cream and, with full stomachs and satisfied smiles on their faces, they bounced back up to Roxas' room. As they were getting ready for bed, Roxas paused, then said dramatically, "Oh no!"

"Huh?"

Roxas turned to a confused Tidus, a worried and also saddened expression on his face. "The Dance dress code is formal, but I don't have a suit!"

"That's okay," Tidus responded with an air of determination, "neither do I."

Roxas laughed and loosened up a little. "Tell you what…" Tidus said, calming Roxas down. "Tomorrow, we'll run by Marcie's and pick up suits for both of us. Okay?"

"All right," Roxas said, calm now.

Tidus strode over to Roxas, and took him in a gentle embrace. "We are going to have so much fun at the Dance tomorrow."

"Yeah," Roxas responded. He yawned widely. "Can't wait…" With that, the two, without letting go of each other, fell over onto the bed, then adjusting themselves so they lay comfortably.

"G'night, Tidus" Roxas said lovingly.

Tidus smiled. "G'night, Roxas." He returned in the same tone.

Three hours, two TV shows, and four tickle-fights later, the two finally fell asleep. They had wasted those three hours, chatting and giggling like idiots, or maybe like lovers.

Not that they were lovers. They were just EXTREMELY close friends.


	3. Chapter 3: The Tearing

Chapter 3: The Tearing

The Dance started at eight o'clock.

At six-thirty, Tidus stood in front of his mirror at his home, wondering where the hell the day had disappeared to.

He had woken up in Roxas' arms around 9:30. The sun was gleaming its brilliant white light directly into his eyes. Roxas had woken up before him, as the boy watched Tidus waking up with an expression displaying a great amount of comfort. For a few minutes, they had just laid there, listening to the melodious silence that encompassed them. Finally, Roxas broke the silence by asking, "Well, shall we start the day?"

"Yeah."

After a lovely breakfast of waffles and orange juice, the two set out to get their suits from Marcie's. The two skipped cheerfully down Providence Boulevard, hands linked in unison, like two boyfriends.

And, to reiterate, they weren't lovers. Right?

They got into Marcie's. Marcie's was mind-bogglingly vast, and yet someone who worked there had taken the time to neatly decorate every square inch of it with curtains (for sale), clothing (for sale), and random trinkets (not for sale, the owner Yuffie thought that they were too damn adorable to give up for a small amount of money.)

Roxas and Tidus scampered off to the men's department. They were going through the men's tuxes cheerfully, trying to find their own sizes. Tidus occasionally would look up, and find Roxas staring at him. Although Roxas would almost instantly avert his eyes, it was kind of strange. Not that he was complaining about receiving attention.

Just as he found a shirt he thought looked nice that was within his budget of $100, the room was plunged into darkness. He heard the sounds of shoppers panicking, wondering what was up with the light situation. As if the people had actually heard their concerns, some woman on the PA system spoke, her voice scratchy, monotone and unconcerned. "Relax, people," she said, almost in a condescending tone, "it's just a brief blackout. The lights should be back on momentarily.

And then, all was quiet between Roxas and Tidus, while the rest of the world was thrown into total and complete chaos. "Oh no, I can't find my shoes!" one lady shouted desperately. Tidus giggled slightly. _What a disaster._

The smirk was wiped off of his face immediately when he felt something coming up from his lungs. Words metaphorically wormed their way through Tidus' windpipe, squirming and quivering in revelation. Finally, they emerged from the gaping hole that was Tidus' mouth.

It was a single word at first. "Roxas?"

Tidus couldn't see him, but he heard Roxas' clothes ruffling as he turned around. "Hm?"

"Um…" Tidus shook a little. This was so unreal. "I…" he drew in a deep breath, and said it all at once. "IloveyouRoxas!"

Silence.

_God…_

Someone was coming towards him.

_Don't let him be mad, or hurt me, or…_

He stopped as he felt a pair of rather delicate arms work their way around Tidus' waist. _Oh my God, _Tidus thought, his mind racing around in his head almost as quickly as the butterflies in his stomach, _Roxas is holding me._

"I love you too, Tidus. More than anything else. If you wanted me to, I would give you the moon and sky. But first, I gotta find me a jet big enough to haul the sky over to you." Somehow, Tidus could sense Roxas' radiant beam next to his ear, though they were in the perfect dark. Tidus giggled, and nuzzled into Roxas.

"Thanks, Roxie."

They stood like that for a few minutes, enjoying each other's body heat, until somewhere, a voice broke the serene silence. Tidus made a mental note to murder whoever had done so.

"Kairi!" a cheerful voice called. _Wait…Selphie?_

"Kairi! I got the board you wanted! We can knock Sora out now!" Selphie shouted as she ran towards Tidus and Roxas.

"Ssh!" Kairi whispered fervently. "Do you WANT him to hear you?"

"Sorry!" Selphie returned. She ran past Tidus and, in passing, struck both Tidus and Roxas, in the back of the head. The last thing Tidus saw before he blacked out was Selphie whirling around, and shouting "Sorry!"

_There he stood. Water surrounded him up to his waist. Glimmering dots known as pyreflies occasionally fell around him. He was staring at the tree in the middle of the lake. This tree had always been a mystery to Tidus. How exactly did a tree grow in the middle of a lake? Tidus walked out to him, curious as to what he was doing._

"_I always thought," he began quickly, "that this would be easier somehow." He took a breath, and his speech slowed a little as he tilted his head back in thought. "I thought that everyone would help me. With all my friends together beside me…" he lowered his head. "I've been trying so hard."_

_Tidus took a breath, and walked forward, his feet soon immersed in water, then his legs. His body temperature dropped in compliance with the low temperatures of the water surrounding him. Once he was out to where the boy stood, he suggested, "Maybe…you're trying too hard." He felt automatic regret. Maybe the boy didn't feel the same. He took a breath, and continued, "They told me…everything…" He was referring to an event back in Guadosalam, where he had learned the innocent looking boy in front of him was going to his death, he was going to be martyred for a cause that would save the world. Tidus had cried, and screamed, but that didn't change the truth, nor falter their already made-up minds. However, the boy wasn't there, so he didn't know this._

_The boy gasped and turned to face Tidus. "Everything?"_

_Tidus smiled slightly and nodded._

"_Well, so then…" the boy began, "you know…" this was enough to get the point of this sentence across._

"_Yeah." Tidus stepped closer to him. "I'm sorry. It's just…you know…" he searched for the words, and found them after a while, "all those things I said. Like, 'let's go get Sin!' and about Zanarkand." He had promised the boy that, after Sin, the monster the boy was trying so hard to defeat, was defeated, the two of them could go back to Tidus' homeland, Zanarkand, the city that had apparently been dead for one thousand years. "I didn't know what would happen to you. I guess…I hope it didn't make you sad." Tidus would have felt awful if the boy had been saddened because of some childish dream he had created for the boy. The last words were so quiet they were almost a pleading whisper. "Forgive me."_

_The boy shook his head. "I wasn't sad." He turned around cheerfully. "I was happy."_

_Tidus smiled. _So like him to be optimistic while I prattle on about something that will never happen, _he thought. Tidus dunked himself underwater and swam, only to resurface a few yards away._

"_Just…don't do it…" Tidus shouted, half beseeching._

"_The pilgrimage?" the boy asked, as if he didn't know._

"_Yeah. That's right. Forget all about Sin. About being a summoner…forget all of that! You can…you know, live a normal life!" He swam towards the boy. "Come on, now. What do you say?"_

_The boy brought his hand up to his face in thought. "Maybe I will!"_

_Tidus looked up, not really expecting this answer._

_The boy continued, "Wouldn't…everyone be surprised?"_

_Tidus had swam up so he was less than three feet away from the boy. "Yeah." He agreed. "Except Rikku. She'd be with you. Lulu and Wakka wouldn't hold out long…"_

_The boy continued from where Tidus had left off. "Kimahri would say, yes, too. I know. But Sir Auron…"_

"_I'll make him understand for you. It's the least I can do for you!"_

"_No," the boy disagreed. "I should tell him. He…deserves it." The boy walked around Tidus, looking up at the beautiful, gleaming white crescent moon, clouded by the swarms of pyreflies. He floated, looking up at the sky, and whispered, "What will I do…if I give up my pilgrimage?"_

"_Um…" Tidus thought for a few seconds before landing on a brilliant idea. "Hey! Zanarkand! Let's go to Zanarkand! Uh…not the one in Spira. The one I'm from!"_

"_Ah?" the boy questioned in a vague word._

"_Uh…yeah! We can all fly there! Everyone can go! Then…we'll have a big party at my place!"_

_The boy cut in, fantasizing. "And then we can see blitzball!"_

"_That's right!"_

"_Your Zanarkand Abes would play?" the boy asked innocently._

"_Yeah!"_

"_We could all watch you play," the boy said excitedly, lost in desire, "in the stadium that's all lit up at night. I'd cheer and cheer until I couldn't cheer any more!"_

"_Yeah!" Tidus said, getting excited about the fantasy. "Right on!"_

"_Well…what about after the game?"_

"_Uh…we'd go out and have fun!"_

_The boy's eyes got a little wider as he asked, "In the middle of the night?"_

"_Ha ha!" Tidus laughed, "no problem. Zanarkand never sleeps!" Tidus looked up into the beautiful night sky, and said dreamily, "Let's go to the sea, before the sunrise. The city lights go out, one by one. The stars fade." He felt a lump in his throat as he reminisced about the town he missed so much. "Then the horizon glows. It looks like it is on fire! It's kinda…rose-colored, right? First in the sea, then it spreads to the sky, then to the whole city! It gets brighter and brighter, until everything glows. It's really…" he sighed, "pretty. I know you'd like it."_

_There was a brief silence. Then the boy said, "I'd like to see it…someday."_

_Tidus turned to the boy. "Well, you can. We can both go."_

_Tidus' attention turned to the water below them, as a droplet hit it. He followed the invisible trail it had left in the air surrounding the two, until he saw the true source-the boy's face. He was crying. His face moved up and down as tears streaked down his cheeks._

_Roxas swallowed hard and whispered, "I can't. I just can't." Then louder. "I can't go!"_

Both boys groaned as they awoke simultaneously from their brief slumber. Rubbing his head irritably, Tidus looked around, lost in thought. _That dream…that was exactly…_ He suddenly felt like fainting again. The dream he had just had was the exact same as the night he had spent in Macalania Woods with his old lover, Yuna. _And what came next was…_

He shook his head quickly. He noticed a strand of red hair in his face. Looking up, he quickly found the source: Kairi. He felt a lead brick materialize out of nowhere and get dropped into his stomach. Kairi, the girl he was supposed to ask to the Moonlit Destiny Dance, was standing right in front of him.

He decided to take things one step at a time. "What happened?" He asked.

Kairi sighed, and massaged her temples. "A lot. I'll tell you what. I'll explain the whole situation over food court food. Sound good?"

Tidus glanced over at Roxas, who nodded his approval happily. Tidus turned back to Kairi, only to do a double-take, realizing he had skipped the formalities.

"Kairi, this is Roxas, my new neighbor. Roxas, this is Kairi," Tidus said, making appropriate hand motions to accompany the introductions. Kairi smiled at Roxas, as he attempted to do the same, though a blind man could see how fake it was.

The three walked out of Marcie's, getting questioning looks from shoppers who had witnessed the event, and those who hadn't seen it were getting hushed explanations from those who had.

They walked over to the food court, ordered some burgers and fries from McDavid's, and sat down at a nearby table. "So…you were going to explain yourself?"

Kairi giggled sheepishly. "Right."

And so, she told them everything. About how Riku told Kairi that he loved Sora, and how Selphie and Kairi were determined to get them together. Kairi was, after all, a fangirl. She went on to describe how they were platonically taking each other to the Moonlit Destiny Dance. She then told them about their plot at Marcie's: turn out the lights when they were alone, Sora makes out with Riku, and then Kairi knocks him out so he doesn't remember any of it. However, Roxas and Tidus' heads were… "inconveniently in the path of the board," as she put it.

By the end, Tidus was sipping his straw, interestedly. Roxas pretended to be interested, but he honestly didn't know who these people were, so he couldn't claim to be as enticed by this as the other two. He had heard the reason why he had been so kindly knocked out- could he leave now? He was kind of hoping this new girl would leave so he could have some time alone with Tidus. Oh well.

"Hey Kairi…" Tidus began.

Kairi stopped talking about how cute Sora and Riku were together for a second, just long enough to look up at him questioningly.

Tidus continued, feeling nervous, but not as nervous as he had been before he had met Roxas. Odd. "Me and Roxas are going to the Dance together. Want to come?

Kairi raised an eyebrow as thoughts zoomed around in her mind as if her brain was a NASCAR track. _Okay, _she thought, _I already lost Sora and Riku. No way Tidus and this new cutie Roxas are gay._ Sure, this sounds mean, but be reasonable- everyone she had a crush on was falling into the clutches of…well, themselves. And their sexual preference. Damn…She had to stop this.

Kairi smiled. "I would love to go with you, Tidus." Tidus beamed. Roxas tried his best to look neutral, but ended up glaring. Hey, even though he had just met him, Tidus had fallen for him. What was this bitch doing trying to interfere with that?

They eventually left, Tidus in the middle of the two, Kairi and Roxas on opposite sides of each other, both holding his hand, wanting him for themselves.

Now, Tidus stood in front of the mirror, feeling more nervous by the second. He said a brief prayer to God, hoping that Kairi and Roxas weren't too hostile with each other. _God, _he prayed, _let nobody be eaten today. Amen._ With that, he took a deep breath, and went to get Roxas and Kairi.

The Dance itself was quite nice. People from the school, some Tidus recognized, some completely new faces, mulled about in the area known as the Upper Commons, while in the Lower Commons, groups of people danced to Justin Timberlake's "SexyBack."

Tidus looked around for people who he recognized. Sora and Riku were AWOL for the time being. Selphie was chatting away the hours with Auron. They were like the odd couple; Auron was reserved as usual, but Selphie was hyper and chatty. Even though Auron was only nineteen, he looked a lot older. From the outside, this looked like an extremely pedophilic relationship. Meanwhile, Leon and Cloud were getting comfortable with each other in the back. Tidus found this strangely cute.

Kairi, upon entrance, had squealed, "I love this song!" and dragged both him and Roxas off to Dance. Actually, she had dragged him, who had reached out and grabbed Roxas.

Their dancing had been quite awkward. Kairi had been trying to get Tidus' or Roxas' attention, but Tidus and Roxas were mostly focused on each other and how they moved. Tidus loved how Roxas danced. He did this repetitive hip motion that at first glance would have seemed like a half-assed attempt at dancing, but there was something about it that just made it smoother.

_When SexyBack had finished, _D.J. WindCid (also known as Cid Highwind) said, "All right, all y'all couples git to the floor. We're slowin' things down in here."

As the song started, Roxas whispered, "I love this song!" He reached for Tidus' hand, yanking him in towards his body. Grabbing Tidus around the waist, he began to rock back and forth rhythmically. _Oh my God, _Tidus thought, his mind rushing, _I'm dancing right next to him. Aah! He has SUCH an awesome body!_ As his mind grew silent, the lady on the recording finally sang,

_You're a song written by the hand of God_

_Don't get me wrong, because this might sound to you a bit odd_

_But you are the place where all my thoughts go hiding_

_Right under your clothes is where I'll find them_

_Underneath your clothes, there's an endless story_

_There's the man I chose, there's my territory_

_And all the things I deserve_

_For being such a good girl, honey._

_Because of you, I forgot the smart ways to lie_

_Because of you, I'm running out of reasons to cry_

_When the…_

"Roxas…" Tidus whispered in Roxas' ear, "I love you,"

Tidus felt Roxas smile against his shoulder. "I love you too, Tidus."

And there it was. The confession, Tidus and Roxas coming clean with each other, with themselves. They had just spoken the explanation for the feelings that each felt. It was perfect. Nothing could ruin this mom-

Right on cue, something ruined the moment.

"No, Sora." Riku said, quite loudly, causing everyone at the dance, which was a lot of people, to stop what they were doing to watch. Cid even stopped the music to watch the fight unfold.

"But Riku…"

"But what? But you can't be stand being regarded as gay? You're ashamed to be who you are? To be with me?"

"Well…yeah, in a sense…" Sora said, turning redder and feeling smaller by the second.

"So, that's it, huh?" Riku said flatly. "You can just rip my heart out, then spit on me, and leave me to bleed and cry all for your popularity? Well, fine. If that's how it is, then why should I even bother with you? Goodbye, Sora."

"But…"

But Riku wasn't listening. He turned on his heel and left. Sora chased after him with the whole school (and then some) looking on in shock.

Tidus watched as Riku fled out the door, Sora hot on his trail. He raised an eyebrow in surprise. _Okaaay…that was…strange…_he thought to himself, as Roxas and Tidus picked up from where they had left off. Glancing over Roxas' shoulder, he spotted Kairi, sitting by herself in the corner, looking crestfallen beyond the description of simple words. Tidus felt a little sorry for her all of a sudden. She had just lost four chances to turn good friends into more than that, just because they were gay. And now, on top of that, she had completely failed in setting Sora and Riku up. _That's gotta hurt…_

Roxas was just praying to God that Tidus and Roxas' relationship wouldn't end on a sour note.

Roxas shouldn't have counted on wishful thinking.

The rest of the Dance went smoothly. Though nobody really got off the topic of Riku and Sora, they all went on, as planned. At midnight, Roxas and Tidus were grabbing their coats , trying to get home and get some sleep, when they were approached by a redhead.

"Hey! Tidus!" the boy, who looked to be in junior year called.

Tidus grinned. "Hey, Wakka. What's up?"

"Nuttin much. To tell you the truth, I'm kinda worried about Riku and Sora. That was a harsh break-up, ya?"

"Yeah, no kidding." Tidus agreed, shaking his head in sorrow for the couple.

"Yeah…" Wakka said, just before brightening up, and asking hopefully, "You comin' to my afterparty?"

Tidus grinned widely. "Will it be as wild as your Tolo party?"

Wakka laughed raucously. "Wilder!"

"I'm there!" Tidus turned to Roxas. "Wanna come, hun?"

"Hm? Oh!" Roxas asked, pretending to be trying to decide, but in reality, that was an easy one. He was really thinking, _OH MY GOD! HE JUST CALLED ME HUN! YAAAY! I THINK I WON! _"Sure, it sounds fun!"

"Great, then come on, ya? I'll drive you two there!" With that, they set off for Wakka's car.

Wakka's house was humongous. It was a three-story-high mansion, about twice the width of Roxas' house, and three times the length of Tidus'. It was nothing short of dizzying.

Upon entrance, Roxas almost immediately began kicking himself for even coming. He had been expecting a formal thing, where everybody sat around and ate cake, or even something as simple as playing cards, or Truth or Dare, or Ten Fingers. Nope. Not Wakka, apparently. Wakka doesn't do simple.

The living room was filled to the brim with people. There were no parents in sight, and the teenagers were taking advantage of this time to let total chaos reign supreme. Most of them were stumbling around, disoriented. There was a brunette senior who Roxas had heard mentioned once or twice- Leon, that was his name- bent over the trash can, making…lovely noises. People played Truth or Dare, sure, but with a twist. Nobody was wearing pants. Or underwear, for that matter.

Roxas, thoroughly disgusted by all of this, told Wakka and Tidus he was going to go upstairs and lie down-he told them he had a migrane. He walked upstairs, and opened the bedroom door. There were three couples sprawled out on top of each other, doing-SLAM! Roxas shut the door, blushing furiously. He moved to the next bedroom, hoping this one was orgy-free. He opened the door, and found that he was in luck- there was nobody else in the room.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Tidus was playing BS with a group of people. He was laughing, having a good time with the rest of them, when he decided he was thirsty. He went to the fridge, and found there was nothing to drink but vodka. _Oh well, _Tidus thought innocently, _No harm, no foul. _He took the bottle of Absolut out, and poured himself a glass. He cautiously sipped it. Deciding it was actually pretty good, he went back for more. Soon, he was out, so he poured himself another drink. And another. And another. Another and-_oh,_ _-hic-, he he. Silly me._ The room whirled around him, disorienting him. Suddenly, he found himself losing all control of himself. As every bit of his consciousness and reason slipped into darkness, he thought he should go check on Roxas.

Roxas placidly lay on the bed, listening to his iPod, and reading a magazine he had found in the bedroom. Playboy Magazine. Lovely. Still, it was better than nothing. Reading an exquisite article on the best dildos for Spring 2006, he was surprised to hear the door open. Glancing over, he was overjoyed at first to see Tidus, but there was something funny about him.

First of all, he reeked of…something. His previously white button-up shirt was now stained with a multitude of colors, and mostly unbuttoned, revealing that chest that Roxas had to admit he was a sucker for. He leaned against the doorframe unstably. "Hey Roxas!" He slurred his speech. Something was definitely wrong with him.

"What's up?" Roxas asked cautiously. He couldn't help but feel he had been lectured about this before…_oh well. Déjà vu, I suppose._

Tidus giggled unnecessarily. "Nothin'. Jus' wanted ta see how my baby was doin'." Tidus stumbled into the room, conveniently landing right on top of Roxas. Tidus cocked his head to the side, and mumbled, "Have I ever told you…-hic- that you're fuckin' gorgeous?"

Roxas blushed at the word. Not that he was uptight, it was just he had never heard Tidus swear like that. "Uh…thanks."

Tidus grinned. "I love you!" he whispered excitedly.

Roxas smiled. He loved hearing Tidus say that. "I love you, too."

Without warning, Tidus pulled their heads closer together. Their lips met, and Roxas felt this magical tingling in his stomach, originating from his lips. _My Lord…I'm being kissed. By him!_ Roxas smiled, overjoyed that he could have such an honor, and began to kiss back.

Tidus licked Roxas' lips hungrily, desire filling the kiss. Roxas' eyebrows shot up to somewhere near his hairline. _Oh…well…this is new…_he thought. Roxas obeyed Tidus' command, though, and let Tidus' tongue plunge into his mouth, exploring the new space, thoroughly examining every tooth, every taste bud, everything.

Everything was fine, until Roxas felt a hand slide down his chest, to his abs, to his hips, to his…ahhhhh God arousal! Roxas moaned and grinded into the touch, causing Tidus to moan in response. A few seconds later, Roxas' conscious came flooding back to him. He violently shoved Tidus off.

Tidus looked up, completely dazed. "Whaa???" he asked.

Roxas glared daggers at him. "What am I, your sex toy."

"No," Tidus slurred, "You are my boyfriend. And you will do what I say. Now come back and fuck me."

Roxas gaped at Tidus for a while, not willing to believe he had just heard such a heartless response come from his lover. "I never want to see you again!" Roxas shouted at him, tears welling up in his eyes. With that, Roxas left Tidus, lying on the ground, completely unsatisfied. Tidus lay back, and eventually, fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Roxas ran outside. It was pouring down rain. Tidus words were still ringing in his ears. Tears now flew down his face. He was done with Tidus. Done with everything. All Tidus had wanted was his body. Roxas had so much to offer, yet Tidus had blatantly ignored it all. No, he only cared about the wild sex. Tidus now disgusted Roxas. To put it simply, Roxas hated Tidus.


	4. Chapter 4: The Reconciliation

Sanctuary: Another Side, Another Story

Chapter 4: The Reconciliation

Roxas had been taught never to go to bed angry, but unfortunately, that rule of thumb was down the sink tonight. As if anyone could blame him. Tidus had taken his heart and, not only cut it open, but savagely ripped it apart and then eaten it. Roxas had been used. There was no other word in the English language for it. Used for Tidus' sexual fulfillment. And here he thought he could finally trust this boy.

And what was he going to do about being a Nobody? A Nobody was a being that was spawned when somebody died. Nobodies were called that because, in essence, they did not truly exist like normal people do. True, they were there, but they did not have an important thing that normal people did: emotions. They could not feel love, hate, jealousy, or anything. And, sooner or later, he was destined to fade back into the darkness from whence he had come.

And yet, he had proven the laws of Nobody-ism wrong. Only a moron would overlook the fact that Roxas had just gotten off falling head-over-heels in love for Tidus. Love was something Nobodies weren't supposed to feel. So was he truly a Nobody at all?

Roxas sighed as he lay in bed. He only wanted one thing: for Tidus to love him like he used to.

Though Tidus was passed out on the floor of Wakka's bedroom, his subconscious self was still alive, buzzing with thoughts. How could he do that to Roxas? He loved the boy. Roxas. Loving, caring, ultra sweet Roxas. The same Roxas that had shown him the wonders of Yarisora and Sea Salt Ice Cream. The same Roxas that had snuggled up to him, falling asleep. The same Roxas that had admitted his love for Tidus in the midst of the Dance. And now, he was gone. Tidus couldn't stop blaming himself. Roxas was a gentle boy, with feelings, not just some random object Tidus used for sex, like he had claimed. His head spun around the scandal.

And what was he going to do about being a Dream of the Fayth. You see, when he had been helping Yuna on her quest, he had gotten knocked out at one point, and had met up with someone who claimed to be the Fayth, which was basically like Yuna's world's version of an angel. He told Tidus that he was a Dream of the Fayth. This meant that he did not truly exist at all. Though everyone could see him, hear him, feel him…he was never really human and, once the aeons were destroyed, he would fade into darkness. Granted, this process would take a while, but it was sure to happen. At the end of their journey, the aeons did, indeed, fade. If he remembered one thing clearly, that was it. So, theoretically, any day now, he should be fading into oblivion. He couldn't fall in love now, after all, he didn't want to break Roxas' precious heart.

_Too late…_Tidus' subconscious sighed. All he wanted…was to be with Roxas.

Kairi couldn't sleep that night. She kept thinking about everyone else in the community, and how she apparently couldn't date any of them. Tonight had been lousy, and nothing short of it. She had been very enthusiastic about going on this date with Tidus, but he just had to bring Roxas along, now, didn't he? Kairi ended up spending the Dance either dancing alone, dancing with friends, or sitting down somewhere random, where she could hide from everybody, which, considering this was a dance with about 300 people, wasn't simple at all. And now, there were none of her close friends that she could date! I mean, come on, she needed at least _one_ hottie to date!

She was also infuriated with herself. Her plan to hook up Riku and Sora had failed. How could she, the almighty Kairi, fail? I mean seriously, it was so simple…

Step One: Go to Marcie's to "pick out suits," but have Riku bring his own suit from home. Once Sora and Riku are changing, sneak off and find Yuffie, and pay her a twenty spot and a paopu fruit trinket to turn off the lights in the store for a few minutes. Meanwhile, Selphie goes and gets a wooden board. Selphie and Kairi rendezvous right outside the men's dressing room. They find Riku and Sora. Once they give Riku a tap on the back, he backs away. Then, they hit Sora over the head with the board, with just enough power to knock him out, but not damage him permanently (Kairi's exact words were, "We wouldn't want our Sora to end up with Downs Syndrome, now would we?") This would be done for a variety of purposes. For starters, it would give Riku time to change into his suit, which would be necessary in order to pull this off. Also, in case Sora ended up homophobic, that would keep the event enshrouded in uncertainty, as Sora was sure to think that it may have just been all a dream. When Sora comes around, claim Riku was trying on a suit, but then, they spied Sora, out cold on the floor, for no apparent reason. That way, Riku can get a taste of Sora, without having any repercussions.

Step Two: Riku takes him to the Moonlit Destiny Dance. Kairi requests a song to DJ WindCid- "Underneath Your Clothes," by Shakira. Incredibly romantic slow-dance song, right? Anyways, this is also Sora's current favorite song. Therefore, Sora's liable to rush out to the dance floor, and start slow-dancing with Riku. About mid-way through the song, Riku would confess his true feelings for Sora, and Sora would follow up with a sweet, "I love you too, Riku."

Step Three: Riku takes Sora back to his place, and they have WILD, HOT, KINKY MONKEY SEX!!!!

Kairi grinned sheepishly in bed, to nobody in particular. Okay, maybe that was the fangirl inside of her speaking for her. Oh well. Still, she had failed, and that disappointed her. She didn't know what she wanted anymore.

Scratch that. She didn't know what she wanted anymore, save for one thing: she wanted everyone, including herself, to be happy.

_Tidus looked up into the beautiful night sky, and said dreamily, "Let's go to the sea, before the sunrise. The city lights go out, one by one. The stars fade." He felt a lump in his throat as he reminisced about the town he missed so much. "Then the horizon glows. It looks like it is on fire! It's kinda…rose-colored, right? First in the sea, then it spreads to the sky, then to the whole city! It gets brighter and brighter, until everything glows. It's really…" he sighed, "pretty. I know you'd like it."_

_There was a brief silence. Then the boy said, "I'd like to see it…someday."_

_Tidus turned to the boy. "Well, you can. We can both go."_

_Tidus' attention turned to the water below them, as a droplet hit it. He followed the invisible trail it had left in the air surrounding the two, until he saw the true source-the boy's face. He was crying. His face moved up and down as tears streaked down his cheeks._

_Roxas swallowed hard and whispered, "I can't. I just can't." Then louder. "I can't go!"_

_Tidus stared at him. He was so beautiful when he cried. Tears streamed down his face, faster and faster, his eyes blinking in unison with the beginning of the droplet's plunge into more water. His eyes sparkled even more when they were tearing up. After a while, Tidus finally whispered, "Roxas…"_

_Roxas looked up at him, wondering why Tidus had said his name._

_Without warning, Tidus' hand found it's way around the back of Roxas' head. Tidus gently brought their lips together in each other's first kiss. Tidus felt Roxas' eyelashes brush up against his ear, signaling that Roxas had widened his eyes. Eventually, Roxas' eyes closed, and he began to return Tidus' kiss. Then, they let themselves tip over, plunging them into the lake._

_The depths of the lake seemed to stretch on for miles. Tidus and Roxas must have plunged for a minute or so, just enjoying the soft touch of the other's lips against their own. Eventually, they parted, and, joined at the hands, backed away from each other as far as they could go. Then, they spun each other around in circles, like a not-so-childish merry-go-round. As soon as they stopped, they came together in a shy yet passionate kiss. Roxas didn't care about what he was going to do about the pilgrimage anymore. He was with Tidus._

_And that was all that mattered._

_And then…a bright white light developed…_

The brilliant white morning sunlight shone through the clouds of the previous night's heavy rainstorm. It weaved it's way around the tall fir trees, past the civilians of Destiny Islands, past the houses, the birds, the animals, the plants, and right into Tidus' window. This beautiful sight awakened Tidus…and he cursed. Loudly, and quite clearly. He wouldn't be surprised if the neighbors had heard it. _Meh, their fault for choosing not to ignore me._

He stumbled nearly blindly down the stairs. _What the hell happened last night? _His rhetorical question was soon met with a million answers from his own brain. Had he really tried to get Roxas to go around like that? And had he really told him to be obedient, and come back and fuck him? _My Lord. Note to self: I am a total animal when I am drunk._

His mind shifted to the problem at hand. He felt like crap. _My friends always told me the first hangover is the worst…I guess they weren't kidding. _Looking in the mirror in his bathroom, he was appalled at what he saw.

He looked like he belonged in Night of the Living Dead. He was paler than usual, his hair was a total mess, his eyes were slightly bloodshot…Tidus threw water on himself, in an attempt to make the ugliness away. Didn't really work.

He sighed. All of a sudden, he heard something loud. His head throbbed as the door got pounded on by rather small fists. Grumpily, he trudged over to the door, and violently swung it open. There stood Wakka and Selphie.

Selphie began jumping up and down excitedly, while Wakka stared at Tidus concernedly.

"Ohmigawd, Tidus! Youhaftacomeseethis! It'sgonnabesooooooooooooooo…" She took a gasp for air, "…oooooooooooocute! It'llbethecutiestcutestthingevah! Cutesycutesycutesy…"

"Uh…Selph? Not so loud, ya?" Wakka gently reminded.

Selphie stared at Tidus, deep in thought, before she let out a knowing, "Ohh…" and fell silent. This drove Tidus' mind into a worried overdrive. _Wait…Selphie? Silent? Oh my God…THE END IS NEAR! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!_

Wakka, thank God, could not hear the inside of Tidus' head. So, he continued. "Hey, mon. We were just comin' by to see if you wanted to come with us. There's something goin' on down at Riku's house, ya? And we want to see what it is, ya?"

Tidus glared at the two, before sighing. He sure was in no mood for public affairs. Still, it was Riku, one of his best friends. He blinked slowly, and droned, "Gimmee twenty minutes." Wakka nodded, and Tidus, slightly irritably, closed the door, wondering how the hell he was going to pull off going from looking like monkey ass on a stick to something that is socially presentable, or something like it.

He ended up pulling off the aforementioned task quite well, actually. One hour later, he stood, in a crowd of fifty, outside of Riku's house. They filled up the driveway, leaving not a lot of personal space between people. Wakka was to his left, Selphie to his right. Beyond Wakka, there was Kairi, and beyond Selphie, there was…of all the bad karma, Roxas. The boy didn't seem to notice Tidus' presence. Thank God. Tidus was in no mood to be here, yet alone have to make a meaningful apology.

Sora stood outside of Riku's house, looking up at his window. The large group, simultaneously, without any real instruction, grew silent, and directed their attention to the boy who currently was the center of attention. Sora picked up a pebble, and threw it up at Riku's window.

Rustling was heard upstairs, and, before long, Riku was peering down at Sora, who stood holding flowers in one hand while the other hand hid behind his back.

"Riku!" Sora called out cheerily.

"What do you want?" Riku responded coldly.

Sora was unfazed. "Come down, I want to talk to you."

"Talk from here."

"Come on, Riku!" Sora pleaded. The grouping of myriad people echoed his plea.

Riku sighed. Tidus could tell Riku was still unimpressed, but again, curiosity always got the best of him. Before long, he was in front of Sora.

"What do you want?" Riku asked apathetically. Sora smiled warmly, though Sora's eyes shone with sorrow. "I'm sorry for last night, Riku. Can you forgive me?"

Everyone knew this was the textbook definition of sincerity. Riku sighed and said, "It's okay, Sora. I could never be mad at you."

"I need to ask you something…" Sora's hand emerged from behind his back with an orange, star-shaped fruit.

_A paopu fruit?_

Now Sora's eyes shone with a new emotion…something happy…was it…love?

Sora continued, "Do you love me, Riku?"

And with that, Riku's hard shell had been plucked off by Sora's affectionate gestures. Riku's anger, his sorrow, his hatred, his misery, his fears, his lies melted away. Life once again felt better as a heavy weight was lifted from his chest. His eyes brimmed with tears which he ineffectively tried to hold back by biting his lower lip. He nodded.

"Yes. Yes, Sora…" he said as a tear of joy rolled down his right cheek. "I have always loved you."

"Good," Sora said, "because I need someone to share th-"

He didn't get the line out. Riku grabbed his had and pulled Sora close while putting Sora's hand at mouth level. Riku wrapped his arms around Sora's neck. "Are you ready?" Riku asked, somewhat cautious.

Sora nodded happily. With the crowd behind them chanting, "eat it," they obeyed. At first, they both took a little nibble, but then on the second bite, they really tore into it. When they had finished every bit of it, they closed the gap between their lips in a kiss that resembled very closely the one in "Lady and the Tramp. Except this kiss was intentional.

When they finished kissing, they held each other close. The crowd behind them cheered. Kairi cried, but out of happiness. Her two boys were happy. That was all that mattered. She, overall, was happy for them.

Meanwhile, Tidus was cheering with the rest of them. He looked over at Roxas, who wasn't cheering, but on the contrary, looking at Tidus with sad, lonely eyes. As if to ask, "why, Tidus? Why did you have to do that to me? Why couldn't you be a sweetheart like they are? And we could be together forever, and ever…" As if on cue, a tear fell from Roxas' eye. Tidus' heart sank to somewhere 7 feet underground. He walked over to Roxas and, putting his arm around him, led him over to a secluded area.

He sat Roxas down. Without thinking, he said the first line that came to mind. It sounded cheesy, but sometimes, cheesy lines were a necessary evil. "I love you, Roxas." He said gently. "And I don't care if you don't give it up to me now, or later, or never. All I want is you. I want to spend the rest of my life, and whatever lies beyond that, with you. I want to lay in a bed of flowers, looking up at the stars, knowing that you are by my side, just as you always will be. Forgive me?"

Even Tidus himself, though he was making this up on the fly, he actually felt tears fill his eyes, and he could tell that the mini-speech was having the same effect on Roxas. However, the boy remained stony-faced. "Prove it, Tidus," he uttered quietly, his voice quaking.

Without thinking, Tidus looked around him and, finding what he needed, he reached up, and plucked it off the nearby tree. It was a very familiar-looking star-shaped fruit.

Roxas raised an eyebrow, looking utterly shocked and pleased. "You…would share a paopu…with _me?_"

Tidus smiled warmly. "Of course. I love you, Roxas. I have always loved you, and no matter what happens, I will never stop loving you."

Roxas threw himself at Tidus, tears of joy pouring down his face. "I love you too, Tidus!" he whispered, his voice cracking.

Tidus lifted Roxas' chin with his fingertips. The boy gave him a gentle, innocent look. Tidus held up the paopu fruit. The two simultaneously bit into it, and started to eat it. Once the fruit had been fully devoured, they just held each other, happy to be finally at peace with each other once again.

After a while, Tidus felt a funny sensation. It started in his fingertips, and worked it's way through his hands, and into the rest of his body. Tidus glanced down at where it had originated, and was suddenly deeply saddened.

His entire body was illuminated, glowing light blue.

Tidus held Roxas tighter than ever. "Roxas," he whispered, "I love you and will always love you, no matter what. Come find me. Goodbye…Roxas."

"What do you…?" Roxas opened his eyes, only to be met with a peculiar sight indeed.

Roxas was only holding himself.

Roxas stood up rapidly, his head wheeling around. "Tidus?" he asked. No response.

He ran out of the bushes. "TIDUS?" he screamed as loudly as he could muster. Nobody was near him. Roxas saw something on the ground glisten in the sun. He sprinted over and picked it up.

It was Tidus' special chain that he wore around his neck every day.

"TIDUS!!!" Roxas cried. He somehow knew exactly what had happened- Tidus had disappeared into the darkness. Roxas wasn't sure how he knew it, but he just did. He also knew one more thing-what he must do.

Roxas centered his thoughts, calming his nerves, and tried to remember the steps for summoning it. He extended his right hand, reaching out to nothing in particular. A flash, and then a silvery-blue blade shaped like a key appeared in his hand. "I'm sorry…mom…and my friends." He turned it around, so the tip was facing his torso. Without a second thought, he thrust it into his chest, piercing his heart. Roxas fell, almost in slow motion, to the ground. His last words were gasped ones, barely audible to the naked ear.

"I'm coming…Tidus."


	5. Epilogue: Along the Winding Roads

Sanctuary- Another Side, Another Story

Epilogue: Along The Winding Roads

After death, in the universe some call _Kingdom Hearts_¸ one of two things can happen. Most people just…fade into nothingness. They create a Heartless and a Nobody, and their actual spirits just die away. However, there is some special extenuating circumstances.

For instance, if one was either a Nobody, Heartless, or Dream of the Fayth when they died, nothing special happens. They just travel along the paths of darkness, slowly forgetting everything about their past life, starting with the small things, like what they liked best as far as foods go, and ending with the big things, like what their name was.

There are innumerable paths of darkness, but they all converge at one and only one point in time. They often place the denizens of darkness in a field of purple and white flowers. Waterfalls falling over a series of rocks create a constant gushing sound. Pyreflies fly about in arbitrary patterns. The scene is, quite simply, beautiful. Now, the denizens of darkness have two choices; stay here for eternity, or continue falling forever. For one reason or another, almost everybody in history has chosen to keep falling. However, occasionally, there is one person who wants to stop falling…

There is one more detail about death that should be known to the general public. Normally, in this darkness, one is completely isolated from any other human contact. However, if one just so happened to have shared a paopu in their time…

Roxas was falling, falling, into the dusk. He kept plummeting, not knowing where he was going, what he was doing, or where he would end up. All he knew was the totally silent, pitch black environment that currently surrounded him.

As he fell, Roxas started forgetting things. It started with his parents, then his memories overall, then Kairi, Wakka, Selphie, Riku, Sora…

And Axel.

He even came close to forgetting his own name, until he saw a brilliant white light that he was falling towards. It got bigger and bigger by the second, until…

Roxas found himself in a bed of what appeared to be daisies. Fog covered the scene. He could distinctly hear the sound of falling water. It was so beautiful here. Was this really what Nobodies were doomed to? _Maybe…this isn't all bad. I may not have my memories, but at least this is a beautiful place to spend eternity. Alone._

At least, he thought he was alone. Until something stirred underneath him. Whatever it was rolled over, sending Roxas toppling to the ground with a slightly strangled yelp. He glanced over at what had so rudely de-seated him.

It was a teenager. His eyes were closed, so Roxas couldn't see what color they were. He had blonde hair, natural, not dyed, that he always wore down. It almost looked like an emo haircut, but it looked far better, especially with his bangs swept out of his face. He had a tan, firm body that he flaunted, since he always wore a shirt that had no middle part, exposing his torso. To put it simply, he was cute.

The boy slowly opened his eyes, and Roxas got a good look at them. They were blue, crystal blue, and they seemed to be the kind that would sparkle in the sun. As Roxas studied the boy's eyes, a single name came to mind.

"Tidus," Roxas gasped.

"Roxas…" Tidus returned lovingly. He then closed his eyes once again, falling back asleep.

Roxas climbed over him and turned around so Roxas' front was facing Tidus' back. Roxas snaked his arm in between Tidus' arm and his body, and then Roxas scooted closer to him, their bodies now pressed up against each other. Both boys were very content. Even though they had forgotten all of their wonderful memories, they had forgotten the bad ones, too. And here, there was no alcohol. There were no raging parties. There were no friends, no family, nothing. The boys only had each other, lying in the bed of flowers, Tidus sleeping, and Roxas looking up at the stars, both boys knowing that the other would always be by their side. The boys only had each other.

And that was all that mattered.

_Fin_


End file.
